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Rotating shoes with different heel-toe drop? (Read 277 times)


From the Internet.

    Do any of you do this successfully? Did you know right away that the lower drop was going to work out? I'm having first world shoe problems over here.

     

    I ordered a pair of Saucony Mirage 3s with Christmas gift money to try out and I'm totally unsure whether I should keep them for another couple of weeks and see how that goes, or just send 'em back already. They're super comfortable on my feet, maybe more than my other shoes, but definitely beat up my calves - have only run short (0.5-1.5 mile) distances in them thus far, and only on the treadmill. My other shoes are ~9mm drop (Asics DS Trainer, Adidas Adizero Tempo) and now I'm questioning whether it would even be smart to rotate shoes with different heel-toe drops on a regular basis.

      I'm sure I do since I don't know what the heel-toe drop is on any of my shoes.

      Runners run

      Slo


        Rotating shoes just makes good sense by my logic.

         

        My shoes range from nuetral to stability with a minimal thrown in for good measure. I couldn't tell you the heel drop on any of them by the way.


        Not dead. Yet.

          I run anything up to 6 miles in zero drop (Altra Torin), and the higher mileage stuff in cushy Asics.  I have no idea what the drop is on those, but it's definitely not zero.  It hurt like hell to run in the Torins for the first few months.  My calves felt like they were on fire most of the time.  I started at like 2 miles and then built my way up.  Now there's zero pain, and I really like the shoes.  I will buy them again.

           

          I'm a huge believer in rotating shoes.  The more different the shoes are, the better.  I have absolutely no scientific evidence to support that statement, but I believe it in my bones.

          How can we know our limits if we don't test them?

            I always suggest rotating shoes just to ensure that the previously worn pair has totally dried out.  I have a couple pair of Mizuno Wave Universe 5 (2mm heel toe drop) as well as Mizuno Wave Universe 4 (4mm heel toe drop).  Plus I have a couple more pair, all with similar or less heel toe drop and rotate among all of them.

             

            If you are just starting out with minimalist shoes and are running mid/forefoot just give your calves time to strengthen.  If you try to do too much too soon you are almost guaranteed a calf strain.


            running metalhead

              Rotating shoes?

              Here in Holland we used to call them "Wheels"

              - Egmond ( 14 januari )            :  1:41:40 (21K)
              - Vondelparkloop ( 20 januari ) :  0:58.1 (10K but did 13.44!!!)
              - Twiskemolenloop ( 4 maart )  :   1:35:19 (3th M45!)

              - Ekiden Zwolle (10K)   ( 25 maart )
              - Rotterdam Marathon ( 8 april )
              - Leiden Marathon Halve ( 27 mei )
              - Marathon Amersfoort ( 10 juni)

                It seems to me that running in a lower heel shoe is like running up hill.

                 

                So, perhaps think of what happens when you go out and run hills.  Your calves get sore.  You want to take it easy on that type of running until you get used to it.

                elodie.kaye


                  I have about 6 pairs of shoes in active rotation varying from 4 - 12mm. My calves don't have any trouble adjusting, but I'm habitually barefoot at home. Personally, I rotate shoes just for amusement. I'm agnostic as to whether it does anything for my running or my feet.

                   

                  It's safe to say you'll adjust if you give it enough time, the question is simply why and whether you want to. Fun is a good enough reason if that describes how you feel. If not, I'd say the evidence is pretty scant to put up with discomfort.  You can always rotate with shoes you enjoy better than the Mirages.

                  mab411


                  Proboscis Colossus

                    I always suggest rotating shoes just to ensure that the previously worn pair has totally dried out.  I have a couple pair of Mizuno Wave Universe 5 (2mm heel toe drop) as well as Mizuno Wave Universe 4 (4mm heel toe drop).  Plus I have a couple more pair, all with similar or less heel toe drop and rotate among all of them.

                     

                    If you are just starting out with minimalist shoes and are running mid/forefoot just give your calves time to strengthen.  If you try to do too much too soon you are almost guaranteed a calf strain.

                     

                    RVDowning, if you don't mind my asking, what are your arches like?  Running Warehouse has those Universe 4's on liquidation (last I checked), and I remember trying them on at an expo and being amazed at how lightweight they were.  I'm looking for something inexpensive to rotate in with my beloved Kinvara 4's, which also have a 4mm drop, but am worried the utter lack of arch support in the Universe will hurt my feet (though I would almost certainly save the Universes for track/speedwork).

                     

                    As to the OP, I don't think there's any harm in switching up the drop in your footwear.  I used to go back and forth between the aforementioned Kinvaras and a pair of Wave Riders myself.  The only reason I'm getting away from the Wave Riders is that I'm going to start trying to shorten my stride length on recovery runs and I think Riders (or any other high-stack shoe) would scrape the ground at the heel (I fight with this at any pace).

                    "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people


                    From the Internet.

                      Rotating shoes?

                      Here in Holland we used to call them "Wheels"

                      These look fascinating! Haha, not *exactly* what I had in mind though Smile

                       

                      Thanks for all the input folks! AFA knowing and/or caring about the heel-toe drop of my shoes, that's just how I do everything - I like numbers and micromanaging, even (especially?) in things that are supposed to be fun hobbies Smile

                       

                      elodie, I'm nearly always barefoot at home or in a shoe that's pretty much just a foot covering like Toms when I'm out, so I was hoping I'd have a fairly easy time getting used to a lower drop shoe. As far as why, yeah for fun is a good way to describe it, just wanted to see what the fuss was about. Think I will give them a bit more time and see if I still like them as I get used to them a bit more.

                       

                      Definitely not going to try to go out and run 5 miles in them or anything - I've been using them for my warmup runs before lifting, so anywhere from 0.5-1.5 miles at once 2x/week or so, and that's definitely as much as I can handle in them right now. Not interested in calf strains so I'll be taking it slow!


                      Feeling the growl again

                        I don't check but I'm sure I run in a variety of drops.  In time you calves will adjust.

                         

                        The important question is whether there is a real, meaningful reason you are going to zero drop shoes, or whether you are doing it just to join the cool trend?  I trained a lot in flats (some of which were close to zero drop) so that I could run marathons in "5K flats" with no ill effects.  But if you are doing it just to say you run in zero drop shoes...and it's causing you calf issues....the question is, WHY?

                        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                         

                        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                         


                        From the Internet.

                          I don't check but I'm sure I run in a variety of drops.  In time you calves will adjust.

                           

                          The important question is whether there is a real, meaningful reason you are going to zero drop shoes, or whether you are doing it just to join the cool trend?  I trained a lot in flats (some of which were close to zero drop) so that I could run marathons in "5K flats" with no ill effects.  But if you are doing it just to say you run in zero drop shoes...and it's causing you calf issues....the question is, WHY?

                           

                          They're 4mm, compared to my usual shoes that are ~9mm. I don't intend to go around telling people the heel-toe drop of my shoes outside of soliciting opinions here, I promise it's not for weird bragging rights Smile For my actual reasons, I was curious if the 5mm difference was that huge - I've run in shoes with 12mm drops and much prefer 9mm over those, and I walk around barefoot or in very flat shoes most of the time, so kinda just wanted to see if less drop = more better for my particular feet/legs. And they were on sale at Running Warehouse, awesome return policy if I don't like them, way below full price if I do decide I want to keep them. If I don't end up keeping them I'll probably exchange for a pair of DS Trainers which I know work fine for me. Also, they're pink. I like a nice pink shoe.

                          CMJHawk86


                            I rotate lower and higher drop shoes as well. Most days I go with 4mm shoes - for me that means the Saucony Kinvara, Nike Free 3.0 or Brooks Pure Flow. The Pure Flow is also my go-to shoe on long run days.  But on easy or recovery days, I go with a pair of 12mm Adidas Supernova Glides.

                             

                            It seems to work for me.

                            aplodder


                            Susan

                              My favorite shoes are Newtons and Altra Torins-both 0 drop.  I love the light weight and wide toe box on both.  If I run in them too much and my calves are feeling sore, I switch to my thick-heeled motion control shoes for a day or two.  It works for me.


                              Not dead. Yet.

                                The important question is whether there is a real, meaningful reason you are going to zero drop shoes, or whether you are doing it just to join the cool trend?

                                 

                                I'll bite.  I thought there was some evidence (not just Born to Run) that running in zero-drop shoes can help keep injuries away.  I haven't done a lot of research on the subject, but a quick Google turns up several articles stating something to that effect.  The expert that turns up in several of these is Jay Dicharry, the author of "Anatomy for Runners".

                                 

                                You don't buy it?

                                How can we know our limits if we don't test them?

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